The characters I play are moderately varied in their play styles, although I'll admit a fondness of playing characters that are relatively complex to build within the rules. It's not necessarily the exact play style that draws me to them, but the challenge of taking that idea and making it work within the framework of Pathfinder. Looking at my PFS characters, though. There seems to be more than that.
-Male Aasimar, compulsive liar, Besmaran pacifist buff cleric who carries a massive Jolly Roger everywhere he goes.
-Female Tiefling, mute, Lamashtan natural attacker prone to cannibalism.
-Male Human, simple, naive, co-dependent slinger archer. Virtually incapable of making any decisions for himself.
-Female Ifrit gunslinger/paladin of Abadar. Ruthless, absolute, legalistic. The law is good because it maintains order. When there is doubt between what is good and what is legal, the law holds precedence.
-Male Aasimar, xenophobic, isolationist wizard/druid summoning mystic theurge.
-Male Human, pedantic, manipulative, Randian frost sorcerer.
-Female Gnome, ambivalent, solopsist, illusionist mystic theurge of Norgorber
-Female Tengu, flagellant Iroran natural attacker
Looking back at them, the only thing I can say definitively about all of my characters is that they are ugly. Every single one of them is personally reprehensible to me. Most of them are physically unappealing, but more than that, they all possess some character trait or another that I find inexcusable in a mature adult. Some of these are relatively complex thoughts that will almost never come out at the table, but which guide their actions nonetheless. Most of these are the results of personal fears, long held beliefs, internal conflicts, and the like. For whatever reason, I can only ever play a character who I would disagree with on several fundamental beliefs and ideals.
... For whatever reason, I can only ever play a character who I would disagree with on several fundamental beliefs and ideals.
That's just thoroughly messed up. And I heartily approve!
I'm pretty much the opposite. All my characters are either currently living or in the process of working to achieve some ideal I myself strive for, if haven't/can't achieve myself for one reason or another. Sometimes their methods are something I wouldn't approve of - for example, I wouldn't want to emulate my LE Zen Archer in much of anything, especially her pride, her apathy regarding the well-being of others outside her personal circle, or her drug habit - but their end goal (in her case, achieving personal serenity) is something that would appeal to me.